


Tell me What you Feel

by Jarino



Series: Rima Lavellan, Herald of Andraste [7]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Angst, Champions of the Just, Dragon Age Quest: Champions of the Just, F/M, Pre-Relationship, Therinfal Redoubt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-04
Updated: 2015-10-04
Packaged: 2018-04-24 17:04:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,310
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4927891
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarino/pseuds/Jarino
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Trapped in her own mind by an Envy demon, Rima finds herself in a scarring situation when the demon imitates her Commander.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tell me What you Feel

**Author's Note:**

> Artwork by me. Original post is here: http://jarinodragonage.tumblr.com/post/124896209733/day-5-big-decisions-mages-vs-temlars

A thick mist enveloped the area, a sense of dread hanging in the air. Rima blinked her eyes slowly in an attempt to adjust herself to her new surroundings. Everything felt…hazy…as though there were some filter of distortion between her and reality. This wasn’t the Fade, though; of that much she was certain.

She slowly walked forward as she attempted to gain her bearings. As she got further into the chamber, she took notice of the numerous charred bodies that stood scattered throughout the room. With faces frozen with horror, they were almost exact replicas of the ones she’d seen at the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Careful to avoid their flaming corpses, Rima hesitantly pressed forward until she recognized the two figures that stood at the end of the hall.

With great caution, she approached the pair, noticing how they stared ahead blankly like puppets. She glanced around briefly, looking for any signs of another possible exit, though all signs pointed toward this spot. It felt almost like a stage had been set up for her arrival.

When her gaze landed upon the figures once more, she let out a gasp of shock. A shadowy silhouette had begun to ooze from the stone wall before her, slowly taking the form of a human. With excruciating effort, it stretched itself further, until the details of its desired form became clear. In a short amount of time, the creature that emerged was appearing as none other than Leliana.

Taking notice of Rima’s shock, a sly grin quickly found its way onto the imposter’s face. “Is this shape useful?” she purred. “Will it let me know you?”

Her voice echoed throughout the space, throughout Rima’s head, even. She could feel the words pounding against her skull, reverberating into places that filled her with discomfort. “Everything tells me about you,” she continued before pulling the Commander’s puppet up by his collar and holding a knife to his throat. “So will this. Watch.”

Narrowing her gaze, Rima stared down the spymaster in confrontation. This was a demon. She’d never encountered one before, but it wasn’t hard to discern the nature of the creature. “Are you trying to tempt me?” she asked in a biting tone.

Paying her no mind, the imposter casually slid her blade across Cullen’s neck, the blood splaying out in dramatic contrast to the lack of emotion in the scene. His body fell to the ground limply and she looked back at Rima with a smug expression. “Are you trying to tempt me?” she mocked, her voice sounding eerily similar to Rima’s.

As the spymaster backed away, disappearing into the wall behind her, the puppet that represented Josephine quickly sprung to life. She slowly approached Rima, playing with a dagger between her fingers as she laughed wickedly. “Being you will be so much more interesting than being the Lord Seeker…”

She disappeared behind Rima and she turned around to face her, but the ambassador had vanished almost instantly. While she looked about in confusion, the imposter swiftly approached her from behind and leaned into her ear. “Do you know what the Inquisition can become? You’ll see.” She spun around rapidly, a chill running down her spine and her heart threatened to leap from her chest.

Just as soon as she had turned around, though, Josephine had disappeared, but her voice still carried throughout the hall. “When I’m done, the Elder One will kill you and ascend. Then I will  _be_  you.”

What was it talking about? Regardless, she needed to find a way out of this, and soon. “I saw through you. Why are you still here?”

The imposter let out a sickening laugh as she came into view once more. “You are under the mistaken impression that I require  _consent_. Every reaction, every protest…is an  _answer_.” She soon came to face Rima, her gaze boring into her. “Glory is coming…and the Elder One wants you to serve him like everyone else. By dying in the right way.”

Rima met her gaze, unwavering, and spoke calmly. “Keep talking, then.”

If she couldn’t escape this dream, she could at least make use of the creature’s ego and try to find out what it knew.

Unwilling to back down, the Josephine puppet briskly walked away while the demon took on a new form behind her.

“I am not your toy.” Hearing the voice of the Commander, Rima spun on her heels to face him. “I am Envy and I  _will_  know you,” he snarled, his face contorting into one of pure malice.

She found herself taking a step back from him. No. This was wrong. She knew it wasn’t really Cullen, but the likeness was too close for comfort. She hadn’t been terribly bothered by the demon taking the shapes of her other advisors, but for some reason, seeing it impersonate her Commander was vastly more disconcerting.

She felt an involuntary shiver run down her spine. Cullen would never look at her like that; would never speak to her like that. He was firm and forceful with his troops, but he always reserved a soft and gentile gaze for her. His words were always carefully chosen and he seemed to make every effort to show her she could trust him. To see his image twisted into something so against his very nature made her sick to her stomach.

His voice carrying an intimidating weight, he began stepping toward her menacingly. “Tell me,  _Herald_ , in your mind…” he sneered. “Tell me what you  _think._ ” She took a step backward and found herself pressed against one of the pillars. He closed the distance and pinned her there, growling, “Tell me what you  _feel_.”

Her eyes wide with fear, she pulled her arms around her body in an attempt to calm herself and shrunk back against the bricks as far as her body would allow. The demon quickly picked up on her behavior and a wicked grin spread across his face. “A bit more of a reaction this time around, hm?” he taunted, snickering. “Does it perhaps have anything to do with this form?”

She didn’t dare respond, but she knew the answer was obvious. Not waiting for her to answer, the imposter took hold of her shirt and raised her up, digging her back into the rough bricks. “Are you afraid of him? The big bad templar come to purge all the mages?”

She kicked her legs about frantically and gripped onto his arm, trying to steady herself.

“Or…” he questioned, his unpleasant grin growing wider. “Are you perhaps  _attracted_  to him?”

Closing her eyes in determination, she pressed her lips shut to keep herself from giving it any more hints. That in itself proved to be a clue, however, and it let out a deep, bellowing laugh.

“To think…the pure, innocent  _Herald of Andraste_  is lusting after her Commander!” He jeered, pressing her firmly against the pillar. He released his hold on her, dropping her to the ground painfully. She wasn’t given a moment to recover before he gripped her neck in both of his hands, leaving her desperately clutching at his wrists as she writhed, trying to pull him off. “Did you think he would return your affections?” He tightened his grip and she responded with a stifled choking sound. “Did you think a templar would fall for a  _mage_  of all things? A dirty, stinking elven mage?”

Rima was starting to grow dizzy from the lack of blood flow to her brain and could feel her arms growing limp. He soon released her, though, and she fell to the floor in a boneless heap, coughing and hacking as she struggled to regain her breath.

“Utterly pathetic,” he scoffed, walking off with his back turned to her before briefly glancing over his shoulder. “I will know more of you…”


End file.
